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Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, creator of the former Christian Brothers winery – now the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone – to design the building. Constructed against a hillside in western Oakville, Far Niente functio... Read more

Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a forty-niner of the California gold rush and uncle of the famous American impressionist painter, Winslow Homer. Benson hired architect Hamden McIntyre, creator of the former Christian Brothers winery – now the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone – to design the building. Constructed against a hillside in western Oakville, Far Niente functioned as a gravity flow winery, gently moving the grapes through each stage of production.
Far Niente prospered until the onset of Prohibition in 1919, when it was abandoned and left to fall into disrepair. Sixty years later, in 1979, Gil Nickel purchased the winery and adjacent vineyard and began a three-year restoration of the property. During restoration, the original name, Far Niente, from an Italian phrase that romantically translated means "without a care," was found carved in stone on the front of the building where it remains to this day. We felt an obligation to preserve the name with the hope that we could recapture a bygone era when life was indeed without a care.
Nineteen eighty-two marked the return of winemaking to Far Niente, with the harvest of the winery’s first Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay was also produced at the winery for the first time that year; the 1979, ’80 and ’81 vintage wines were made at an offsite location. Today, the winery continues to focus on producing only the two varietal wines.
California’s Oldest Bottle of Wine
Far Niente’s past and present were reunited in 1998, when a bottle of Far Niente Sweet Muscat, vintage 1886, was discovered in a private cellar in Marin County, CA. The bottle exhibits the original label, cork and capsule, and is believed to be the oldest intact bottle of California wine in existence today.
The label, featuring a sepia-tone line drawing of a hammock laden with grape clusters, is thought to have been designed by Benson’s nephew, artist Winslow Homer. Historians of the artist liken the style of the hammock on the label to the same technique employed in Homer’s other works. Eric Rudd, a historian and expert on Homer, has explained that while Homer created very little commercial art, he was known to have supplied his work to friends and relations for commercial use, including his cousin, Virginia Johnson. This was the same Virginia Johnson who inherited Far Niente in the early 1900s, from her uncle, John Benson.
Today, Far Niente wines carry an intricate art nouveau-style parchment label, which was designed by artist Tom Rodrigues in 1979. Rodrigues also designed the labels for Far Niente’s sister wineries Dolce, producer of a late harvest wine, and Nickel & Nickel, a new winery devoted exclusively to producing small-lot, single vineyard wines.
When John Benson built Far Niente in 1885, it was evident by the stone archway in the west wall of the cellar that wine caves were to be chiseled into the solid rock. Unfortunately, as a result of Mr. Benson's death and the forced closure brought on by Prohibition, these caves never materialized.
It was in 1980, one year after Far Niente was purchased by Gil Nickel, that Alf Burtleson was hired by Gil to dig a small 60-foot wine cave in the hill behind the winery. Little did the two men know at the time, that the Far Niente wine caves would become the first to be constructed in North America since the turn of the century, spawning a new industry in California wine country.
Almost ten years after the first excavation and accompanied by Alf's expertise, Gil undertook the adventurous project of expanding the wine caves to 15,060 square feet. At the time, Alf and his four-man crew utilized a 22-foot long electric and hydraulic drill used in England for digging coal mines, and completed the shotcrete-lined caves in 1991. A second phase, adjoining an additional 13,000 square feet were added in 1995, and a third phase, bringing the total cave area to 40,000 square feet, was completed in 2001.
“Caves have qualities beneficial to wine aging that are impossible to capture in an above-ground building,” says Dirk Hampson, director of winemaking at Far Niente. Much attention and concern have been devoted to the aesthetics in the integral design of the caves, which consist of recessed lighting, back-lit niches, a large octagonal wine library, and a number of 45-degree tunnels.
In addition to the wonders of aging wine in beautiful surroundings, much can be attributed to the practical benefits of storing and aging wine underground. A constant temperature of 58-60 degrees Fahrenheit, accompanied by natural humidity, contribute to low evaporation in a consistent environment. Far Niente's caves currently house approximately 2,500 French oak barrels. Read less

Member Reviews for Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley Estate Bottled

Powerful and famous Chardonnay from one of the older vineyards in California. Rich in oak with a buttery, creamy mouthful. Butter bleeds into the palate with hints of caramel and underlying fruit. Good but not worth the money in my opinion.

Nice toasty oak with a crisp flavor. Not as rich and buttery as the 2004/2005s I tasted, but a good quality chardonnay from a consistent producer.
-Tasted a Hostile Grape 8/5/09
- Tasted at Lee's Wine Experience 11/7/09 I'd go to 4.25 stars this time.

External Reviews for Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley Estate Bottled

Source: WineExpress.com

11/01/2009

Far Niente Chardonnay has earned its reputation as one of the great white wines worthy of aging. The grapes are hand picked from the various estate vineyards and then hand sorted at the winery. Shortly after starting fermentation in stainless tanks, the must is racked into a high percentage of new French oak barrels. To assure proper development, the barrels are topped biweekly, allowing our wine to age gracefully on its yeast lees for eight months. The winemaker evaluates each barrel for quality and style before it may be included in the blend.
This wine is a classic Far Niente Chard, with a full, firm structure, lush roundness, intense fruit and spicy oak. Enjoy it now or let it continue to age and develop in your cellar for 5 or more years.
This item excluded from XTYPAK and any other discounts or offers beyond the 15% case discount.

Aromas of melon, guava and ripe fig are layered with toasty spices that resemble hazelnut and clove. Upon entry, this wine is round and creamy on the palate brings forth a tropical minerality that balances a spicy, toasty finish.

Has clean, sharp aromas of pear, peach and melon, veering into tropical fruit; also lots of smoky, toasty oak. Tastes rich, round and complex. Big fruit, plus all the complexities new oak and lees add to the package. Fancy and stylish. Still tightly wound; you'd be best off to let it settle for a while.

The winemaker notes that this wine has undergone no malolactic fermentation, which is rare in an expensive Chard because you don't get that big, fat, rich buttery softness. What you do get is pure pear and tropical fruit that is elaborately oaked in really good barrels. It is fancy and detailed but not blowsy.

Chablis-like in its flinty leaness, with firm citrus, earth, mineral, gravel and green apple flavors. Intense and vibrant, for those who don't want the shadow of oak in their Chardonnay. Drink now through 2005.